• When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.

Removing odor from stinky comics?
4 4

84 posts in this topic

I have tried this with some success at no cost using things I already have. Open the book to the middle and hang on a rack of some kind so the pages hang down. The pages will naturally fan out a little bit doing this. Using a portable fan set on low, position it so the air can gently blow through the pages. Leave it like this for a few weeks and the odor should be greatly reduced. Here's an image of my makeshift setup to do this.

 

XgaTGeh.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yep the fan method works good

Ps bakin soda poured on cat urine on a rug and vacuum after 24 hours works great

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have tried this with some success at no cost using things I already have. Open the book to the middle and hang on a rack of some kind so the pages hang down. The pages will naturally fan out a little bit doing this. Using a portable fan set on low, position it so the air can gently blow through the pages. Leave it like this for a few weeks and the odor should be greatly reduced. Here's an image of my makeshift setup to do this.

 

XgaTGeh.jpg

 

is that method a little rough on the spine?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

did anyone have any luck with neutralizing the stench of the stinky comics, that were disclosed as stinky comics, from FTs sales thread awhile back? :shrug:

 

I've had them in cat litter and baking soda for....., quite a few months, and can discern no change in their putrid aroma.... :sick:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

did anyone have any luck with neutralizing the stench of the stinky comics, that were disclosed as stinky comics, from FTs sales thread awhile back? :shrug:

 

I've had them in cat litter and baking soda for....., quite a few months, and can discern no change in their putrid aroma.... :sick:

What could cause a stench so bad that it doesn't leave the comic? hm Bodily fluids, perhaps?
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have tried this with some success at no cost using things I already have. Open the book to the middle and hang on a rack of some kind so the pages hang down. The pages will naturally fan out a little bit doing this. Using a portable fan set on low, position it so the air can gently blow through the pages. Leave it like this for a few weeks and the odor should be greatly reduced. Here's an image of my makeshift setup to do this.

 

XgaTGeh.jpg

 

lol Love this.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

did anyone have any luck with neutralizing the stench of the stinky comics, that were disclosed as stinky comics, from FTs sales thread awhile back? :shrug:

 

I've had them in cat litter and baking soda for....., quite a few months, and can discern no change in their putrid aroma.... :sick:

What could cause a stench so bad that it doesn't leave the comic? hm Bodily fluids, perhaps?

 

One of the fun, and sometimes scary, things about collecting is you never know what happened to old books before you got them. I imagine if someone kept their Golden Age collection in their outhouse back in the 40's, that would a cause a smell that you might never be able to kill.

 

I think this is why CGC grades severely against stains. WHO KNOWS what caused any given stain? It could be something as simple as getting rained on...or as putrid as a leaky baby diaper that was laid on the book at some time.

 

The book I deodorized had a kerosene type smell, but there were no stains, so it possibly had just been in a basement in the vicinity of a kerosene heater, or something like that.

 

If you've given the cat litter/baking soda process a few months with no improvement, it's almost like the smell is PART of the book. If there are no visible signs like stains, mold or mildew, maybe the inks are deteriorating and giving off a weird smell. Just making a random guess.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

did anyone have any luck with neutralizing the stench of the stinky comics, that were disclosed as stinky comics, from FTs sales thread awhile back? :shrug:

 

I've had them in cat litter and baking soda for....., quite a few months, and can discern no change in their putrid aroma.... :sick:

What could cause a stench so bad that it doesn't leave the comic? hm Bodily fluids, perhaps?

 

One of the fun, and sometimes scary, things about collecting is you never know what happened to old books before you got them. I imagine if someone kept their Golden Age collection in their outhouse back in the 40's, that would a cause a smell that you might never be able to kill.

 

I think this is why CGC grades severely against stains. WHO KNOWS what caused any given stain? It could be something as simple as getting rained on...or as putrid as a leaky baby diaper that was laid on the book at some time.

 

The book I deodorized had a kerosene type smell, but there were no stains, so it possibly had just been in a basement in the vicinity of a kerosene heater, or something like that.

 

If you've given the cat litter/baking soda process a few months with no improvement, it's almost like the smell is PART of the book. If there are no visible signs like stains, mold or mildew, maybe the inks are deteriorating and giving off a weird smell. Just making a random guess.

Accurately described as, "This book comes from a batch that exhibits a strong odour of mothballs"

Link to comment
Share on other sites

did anyone have any luck with neutralizing the stench of the stinky comics, that were disclosed as stinky comics, from FTs sales thread awhile back? :shrug:

 

I've had them in cat litter and baking soda for....., quite a few months, and can discern no change in their putrid aroma.... :sick:

What could cause a stench so bad that it doesn't leave the comic? hm Bodily fluids, perhaps?

 

One of the fun, and sometimes scary, things about collecting is you never know what happened to old books before you got them. I imagine if someone kept their Golden Age collection in their outhouse back in the 40's, that would a cause a smell that you might never be able to kill.

 

I think this is why CGC grades severely against stains. WHO KNOWS what caused any given stain? It could be something as simple as getting rained on...or as putrid as a leaky baby diaper that was laid on the book at some time.

 

The book I deodorized had a kerosene type smell, but there were no stains, so it possibly had just been in a basement in the vicinity of a kerosene heater, or something like that.

 

If you've given the cat litter/baking soda process a few months with no improvement, it's almost like the smell is PART of the book. If there are no visible signs like stains, mold or mildew, maybe the inks are deteriorating and giving off a weird smell. Just making a random guess.

Accurately described as, "This book comes from a batch that exhibits a strong odour of mothballs"

Is it from the Hawkeye collection?
Link to comment
Share on other sites

did anyone have any luck with neutralizing the stench of the stinky comics, that were disclosed as stinky comics, from FTs sales thread awhile back? :shrug:

 

I've had them in cat litter and baking soda for....., quite a few months, and can discern no change in their putrid aroma.... :sick:

What could cause a stench so bad that it doesn't leave the comic? hm Bodily fluids, perhaps?

 

One of the fun, and sometimes scary, things about collecting is you never know what happened to old books before you got them. I imagine if someone kept their Golden Age collection in their outhouse back in the 40's, that would a cause a smell that you might never be able to kill.

 

I think this is why CGC grades severely against stains. WHO KNOWS what caused any given stain? It could be something as simple as getting rained on...or as putrid as a leaky baby diaper that was laid on the book at some time.

 

The book I deodorized had a kerosene type smell, but there were no stains, so it possibly had just been in a basement in the vicinity of a kerosene heater, or something like that.

 

If you've given the cat litter/baking soda process a few months with no improvement, it's almost like the smell is PART of the book. If there are no visible signs like stains, mold or mildew, maybe the inks are deteriorating and giving off a weird smell. Just making a random guess.

Accurately described as, "This book comes from a batch that exhibits a strong odour of mothballs"

Is it from the Hawkeye collection?
:shrug: They were from FlamingTelepath. Again, he accurately disclosed the stench in the sales thread.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I would surmise that mothball odor is significantly different than smoke and may be less affected by kitty litter. For these, I would think constant air exchange around the book to promote the release of VOC's (or similar) would be better than sealing them in a box. A fan directly blowing on the books would be overkill, as any air exchange around the books should do. for example a room with CH&A, as long as it is not in a "dead air" corner should be adequate circulation.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 11/22/2014 at 7:31 PM, hhwolfman said:

Put your comic in a Scented trash bag, and a lot of crumbled up news paper for a couple of days. Works real well.

 

 

I know it has nearly 5 years ago and will try this experiment with stinky smoking comic books.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, JollyComics said:

I know it has nearly 5 years ago and will try this experiment with stinky smoking comic books.

you have to remove the scent particles-by loosening them-rub hand carefully over each page and blowing them off-with air, page by page.  10 min per page spread.

Edited by kav
Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, JollyComics said:

I know it has nearly 5 years ago and will try this experiment with stinky smoking comic books.

 

6 minutes ago, kav said:

you have to remove the scent particles-by loosening them-rub hand carefully over each page and blowing them off-with air, page by page.  10 min per page spread.

you could take up smoking but naaaaahhh

i have some cream pages that are pretty ripe but not with smoke.... just good ole paper :) 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

5 minutes ago, ADAMANTIUM said:

 

you could take up smoking but naaaaahhh

i have some cream pages that are pretty ripe but not with smoke.... just good ole paper :) 

In the book 'surely you're joking Mr Feynman' Richard Feynmann discovered you can smell when a book has been handled.  I did it myself-a bookshelf with a bunch of paperbacks that havent been touched in a while, you tell someone to take one out and flip thru it when you leave the room.  Then you come back and smell the books and find the one he handled.  All the books smell musty then the one that was handled has no smell.  From this I deduced that rubbing hands on comics will loosen up and help remove smell particles and I have done it with several extremely mustified comics and desmellified them. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
4 4